Blade Base - Customize Grip Base
Blade Base - Customize Grip Base is a Blade Base released as part of the Magnacore System. It debuted with the release of Dragoon V2 on 2003. Description Customize Grip Base is a relatively tall Base with a mostly smooth underside, interrupted by the bolt-like details of the slightly raised cross pattern which divides the base into four quadrants. In the center is a wide shaft section with fairly thick walls which taper slightly towards the bottom, ending in a fairly wide hole, inside which sits a removable blue-colored flat rubber Tip with rounded sides. Like the tip of Dragoon V, this tip contains a magnet, designed for use in a Magnecore Stadium. The width of the bottom of the tip is slightly wider than that of Grip Base, and as a result Customize Grip Base is capable of similarly fast, aggressive movement. In addition to this, not only can Customize Grip Base be used with any non-gimmicked Spin Gear or Neo Spin Gear, but as a Base from the V2 Series, it is also able to use Support Parts, allowing for a wide range of customizations, being one of two Bases with the ability to use the various Neo Spin Gear Cores (including Metal Driger's Heavy Metal Core), Support Parts, and a rubber Tip simultaneously, and given the fragility of the only other Base able to do this, SG Grip Change Base, it is certainly the only viable choice for doing so. However, Customize Grip Base has three major weaknesses that prevent it from outshining Grip Base and SG Grip Change Base] (or at least the Tip thereof) for Attack. The first and most obvious is its height – it is a tall Base, meaning that it has difficulty against lower opponents, both in making contact and the Recoil some Attack Rings suffer as a result of the angle they hit at, though it does offer some advantages against other taller opponents with well-defended lower portions such as Wolborg 4's Circle Survivor or Grip-Based Defense Customizations, may be compensated for by the use of an Attack Ring which overhangs the Weight Disk, most notably Triple Tiger, or even used to a customizations advantage in a Force Smash combination. The second issue is weight – while the Tip is slightly wider than that of Grip Base and of identical consistency, which should mean faster movement, the weight of the Base, its Support Parts and the magnet in the Tip itself mean Customize Grip Base falls slightly short of the incredible speeds Grip Base is capable of. Lastly, and most importantly, the rounded sides of the Tip easily slip over the Tornado Ridge of Stadiums, resulting in a tendency to self-KO when launched incorrectly or as a result of collisions, so Customize Grip Base has relatively poor Recoil handling for a rubber-tipped Blade Base. This also nullifies any controllability that may be gained from its weight. It must be kept in mind, though, that the only two superior options are exceedingly rare and expensive, leaving Customize Grip Base as arguably the best value for money Attack Base, and certainly one of the most versatile. Customize Grip Base's usefulness is not limited to Attack, however. In fact, it is perhaps more famous for its use in Defense, and to a lesser extent, Survival customization. Due to the removable Tip and diameter of the Shaft section, Customize Grip Base is capable of holding a wide range of other Spin Gear setups, most notably Bearing SGs such as Wolborg 2's SG (Bearing Version 2), as well as having the ability to use Support Parts, the only base to do so other than Customize Bearing Base, which is much more limited in terms of compatible Spin Gears. For Survival, the usefulness of this is questionable: most, if not all Zombie Tips have such poor Defensive ability that using Customize Grip Base merely sacrifices the superior Life After Death offered by Defense Grip Base 2 without providing any worthwhile increase in the Defensive potential of the combination as a whole, although some may still prefer the slight increase it does provide. Furthermore, of all the Survival-oriented Zombie Spin Gears available, arguably the best is Burning Kerberous' Neo SG (Double Bearing Version), which is best used with the Customize Bearing Base it comes with, due to Customize Grip Base suffering scraping issues with that Spin Gear and Customize Bearing Base's superior shape for Defense and Stamina. However, the main use of Customize Grip Base's Defensive abilities is as a staple component of Grip-Based Defense Customizations (more specifically Defensive Zombies), due to the excellent synergy it has with the integral part of those combinations, Wolborg 2's SG (Bearing Version 2) Shaft. Customize Grip Base's bulk and ability to use Support Parts serves to address the weakness to Upper Attack created by the Shaft's height, while still providing good Life After Death (given the use of suitable SP), and the combined width of the Base and any suitable Support Part helps to prevent the Tip from being pushed to angles which may cause it to roll the combination out of the stadium, as can occur with other Bases. Customize Grip Base's incredible versatility, even for a V2 Series Blade Base, means that it may be used in an extensive range of customizations, a sample of which are included below. Compatible Bearing Casings The following casings are compatible with Customize Grip Base: SG (Free Shaft Version) (Dranzer S) (One Bearing) SG (Bearing Version) (Wolborg) (One Bearing) SG (Bearing Version 2) (Wolborg 2) (One Bearing) Neo SG (Double Bearing Version) (Burning Kerberous) (Two Bearings) Use in Smash Attack Customization AR: Triple Tiger (Driger G) WD: Wide Defense SG: Neo Right SG SG Core: North or South Magnecore SP: Survivor Ring (Dark Series) BB: Customize Grip Base (Dragoon V2) Tip: Customize Grip Base Tip (Dragoon V2) Triple Tiger's low-hanging design effectively compensates for the height of Customize Grip Base, and Survivor Ring can be lined up with the leading edge of Triple Tiger to enhance the vertical range of the combination and focus more weight on its contact points, to produce even more powerful Smash Attack. Wide Defense is chosen for its externally distributed weight, and combined with either a North or South Magnecore, has enough weight to prevent any Recoil issues. This is arguably the best use of Customize Grip Base for Smash Attack, and a highly competitive combination overall. Use in Upper Attack Customization AR: Upper Claw (Driger V2) WD: Ten Heavy or Wide Defense SG: Neo Right SG SG Core: Heavy Metal Core (Metal Driger) SP: Upper Attack (Driger V2) BB: Customize Grip Base (Dragoon V2) Tip: Customize Grip Base Tip (Dragoon V2) Customize Grip Base's status as the only practical Attack base that allows Support Parts and a Heavy Metal Core to be used together means it is the primary choice for Upper Attack Customizations with Driger V2's AR and Support Parts, where its height addresses their scraping issues, and its excellent speed not only increases the effectiveness of their Upper Attack, but amplifies the Smash Attack the AR and SP produce, to the point it is viable to use Wide Defense in place of 10 Heavy, trading off some Upper Attack ability to increase Smash Attack, which can allow the combination to defeat opponents it may not be able to with Upper Attack alone. Use in Force Smash Customization While not a common type of customization, Customize Grip Base's practically unique combination of height, grip, and speed makes it an absolute must-have part for Force Smash Customizations. An example of this follows: AR: Smash Turtle (Master Draciel/Kids Draciel) WD: Wide Defense SG: Neo Right SG SG Core: Heavy Metal Core (Metal Driger) SP: Defense Ring (Voltaic Ape) BB: Customize Grip Base (Dragoon V2) Tip: Customize Grip Base Tip (Dragoon V2) Force Smash combinations in the Plastic Generation are somewhat of an anomaly; while they use aggressive, Bases and parts which overall suggest an aggressive combination with poor survival, they achieve the vast majority of their victories by outlasting their opponents, as they focus on destabilizing opponents to the point of scraping, in aiming to wear down their Stamina. If done correctly, this is a surprisingly reliable tactic, and unless facing a bearing-based Zombie or Defensive Zombie, both of which easily absorb the hits and use parts which greatly minimize the effects of any scraping induced by Force Smash, this customization will almost always outspin any opponent that cannot KO it, which, due to its grip, use of a Heavy Metal Core, and overall round, defensive profile, is a fairly difficult feat to accomplish. Use in Defense Customization AR: Twin Horn (Hasbro) (White Gabriel G) SAR: Dragon Saucer SAR (Gaia Dragoon G) WD: Wide Defense SG: Neo Left SG SG Casings: Neo SG (Double Bearing Version) Casings (Burning Kerberous) SG Shaft: SG (Bearing Version 2) Shaft (Wolborg 2) SP: Defense Ring (Voltaic Ape) BB: Customize Grip Base (Dragoon V2) As mentioned previously, Defensive Zombies, the most competitive variety of Grip-Based Defense customizations, are perhaps the most famous use of Customize Grip Base, thanks to the excellent synergy it has with Wolborg 2's Shaft – the staple part of the type. The above combination is one of the strongest possible, with an Attack Ring setup that offers great Survival and incredible Defense, Wide Defense providing good weight and Survival, and the second lowest Recoil of any legal Weight Disk, the Neo SG (Double Bearing Version) Casings not only allowing the use of two Bearings with the Shaft, but also lowering the overall height of the customization to help address its relative weakness to Upper Attack, Defense Ring's excellent Life After Death (though Cross Survivor may be chosen for additional Defense, this is rarely worth the Stamina tradeoff), and Customize Grip Base increasing the Defense of the customization against low Attack types, and the most important part – The SG (Bearing Version 2) Shaft providing incredible Grip without sacrificing much Survival thanks to its unique combination of a Defensive rubber Tip and the ability to use Bearings. Lastly, the customization can be launched aggressively with practice, and while its round shape is not particularly conducive to aggressive tactics, it can use its momentum to score KO victories against defensively poor opponents who may seek to outspin it – though Weak Launching can be used by opposite-spin opponents to negate this. Overall, this customization is extremely dangerous in a competitive situation, and while the rising popularity of combinations based on Wolborg 4's Circle Survivor does pose some concern, as those combinations often counter Defensive Zombies completely, it can easily win battles even in the hands of a relatively inexperienced Blader. Use in Zombie Customization AR: Scissor Attacker (Metal Dranzer) WD: Wide Survivor SG: Left Spin Gear (Bearing Version) (Wolborg) SG Shaft: SG (Bearing Version) Shaft (Wolborg) SP: Defense Ring (Voltaic Ape) BB: Customize Grip Base (Dragoon V2) While not the optimal choice, Customize Grip Base is still a viable choice for Zombie customizations, especially if one does not own a Burning Kerberous or Wolborg 2, or wants more Defense from a Zombie using Wolborg or Metal Dragoon Bearing Stinger's Shafts, though as mentioned previously, the benefit of this is questionable at best. Scissor Attacker is chosen for its excellent Survival and solid Defense, thanks to its small size and the smooth curve of its leading edges in left spin. Wide Survivor is used for optimal Survival and Spin Stealing. Defense Ring is chosen to optimize the customizations Life After Death ability, and Wolborg's Spin Gear and Shaft are used as they emphasize the Defensive properties of Customize Grip Base, as well as providing great Survival, though only the Takara version of the Shaft is considered Top-Tier for this purpose. Overall Products * Dragoon V2 Takara Tomy Hasbro Gallery Takara Tomy DragoonV2 6.jpg BDragoonV233.jpg Red Dragoon V2 Bottom View.JPG BMyGFar.jpg Hasbro Trivia References Category:Blade Bases